Waratahs no match for hot Reds

The Queensland Reds ridiculed the Waratahs yet again last night, continuing their outright Super 12 interstate domination with a demoralising 12-point victory at Aussie Stadium.

An embarrassed Waratahs team left last night wondering if and when they will ever beat Queensland in the Super 12s, after enjoying just one draw with their rivals since the tournament began in 1996.

There is something seriously amiss with NSW; they suffered 16 turnovers and lost the plot for several minutes in the second half, while in the space of two minutes Queensland racked up 14 points.

Reds full-back Chris Latham, was easily the man of the match, and showed courage to charge towards the line so teammate Rudi Vedelago could drive over him to score. In another act of bravery, Wendell Sailor went on an 80-metre run, pushing aside Chris Whitaker, Brendan Cannon and Mat Rogers to finish off a brilliant try.

It was the moment Australian rugby union had been waiting for from Sailor since his move across from league last year. ");document.write("

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After a gruelling, mistake-ridden start to the second half, each team struggled to contain their enthusiasm and aggression. Referee Peter Marshall gave the Waratahs a leg-up in the 28th minute with a penalty try, which put NSW in the lead for the first time in the match.

This followed a NSW lineout about five metres from the Queensland line, where the Waratahs won the throw. But the lineout collapsed after Reds second-rower Daniel Heenan pulled his opposite down, preventing the Waratahs from putting on the drive for the line.

Marshall deemed that Heenan's action was a deliberate foul and had stopped, what he assumed, would be a certain try. To Queensland's amazement Marshall ran to the centre of the Reds' goalposts to indicate a penalty try had been awarded.

This action turned a 9-3 deficit into a 10-9 lead, and for several minutes Queensland lost its composure. After a string of penalties against the Reds another try put NSW three points ahead.

Overall the Waratahs looked more dangerous, but did not help their cause by making several blunders. The NSW lineout was a worry early on and the midfield kicking went astray.

NSW struggled to contain one of the least experienced players in the Reds team, as promising half-back Josh Valentine caused enormous problems around the scrum base.

However Queensland encountered some bad luck on the break when its most industrious forward, second-rower Matt Cockbain left the field after a clash with Sailor and NSW centre Nathan Grey.

In Europe, England will look to win an elusive Six Nations grand slam when it takes on Ireland at Lansdowne Road today.

Two other Six Nations matches were played overnight: France hosted Wales, and Scotland hosted Italy in Edinburgh.